Love Me For Me
by Supernaturalxo
Summary: After the defeat of the Edison Group, the Supernaturals are taken to a new safe house in Philadelphia. But what happens when another wolf takes a fascination in Chloe? What happens when Kit finally tells Tori that she and Simon are related?
1. Chapter 1

_**Chloe's POV**_

We finally defeated the Edison Group! We were finally through with them. But sadly the excitement over their defeat was short-lived when we started running from the Cabals. We had just made it out when they arrived. We ran down the street quite a bit before Kit - Simon and Derek's dad - Aunt Lauren, Derek, Tori and Simon all found and climbed into the back of Kit's van. We were now once again leaving Buffalo and heading in the direction of...I don't know.

"Where are we going, dad?" Simon asked from the middle seat of the van. Aunt Lauren and Kit were up front while Derek and I were seated at the very back.

When I asked Liz to watch over Derek while I helped deal with the Edison Group members who had killed Gwen and Andrew, I spent no time thinking about anything but the safety of him. My biggest concern was that he would turn into his werewolf self and risk getting himself caught while trying to help us. But he showed up just before Tori's mom, Diane, could do anymore to us.

After we found Kit's van, Liz disappeared somewhere. I didn't try summoning her because we hadn't stopped anywhere since we started driving. I could try when we finally stopped somewhere long enough for her to find us, so I could talk to her.

Aunt Lauren would glance in the rear view mirror up front and look back to see me and Derek. We were just sitting in the back of the van, cuddling together. His arm was wrapped around my shoulders, holding me close while I cuddled into his side. I'm glad Derek was over his puberty smack down. His hair was no longer as lanky and greasy as it was when I first met him at Lyle House and his acne had cleared up. He looked much better. Almost like someone looking a lot better having being sick for a long time.

"I got in touch with an old friend in Philadelphia," Kit said. "She has a safe house there and that's where we're going."

"Philadelphia?" Simon exclaimed. "That's almost a seven hour drive."

"We've been driving for an hour, kid," Kit says, "we're about half way there."

Suddenly I hear Derek's stomach grumble. I move my head away from him and look up to see his face turn red a little bit. He looks down at me and I smile, but he doesn't return it. He looks back up front.

"Can we stop somewhere for something to eat?" Derek asks. It's the first time I've heard his voice since we left Buffalo. He sounded tired and groggy and I wonder if he slept at all since we left.

"There should be some food in one of the bags in the back. Drinks should be in the cooler."

"Cool," Simon cheers as he reaches down for the blue cooler. He opens it and pulls out a bottle of Diet Coke. He takes out a few cans of soda and passes them back to Derek and me. I thank him with a smile and he winks at me.

Derek reaches around and sets a heavy looking duffle bag on his lap. He opens it and sighs with relief when he finds pizza wrapped up in tin foil, sandwiches, chips and of course, energy bars. He offers me a bag of chips and a sandwich, taking the pizza and handing the bag up front. Every digs in except for the adults up front.

_3 1/2 Hours__ Later..._

I'm shaken awake. I look out the window and see Kit driving along a bumpy dirt road past a brick wall gate and about half a mile into the trees. He stops just outside the large Victorian house. It looks almost identical to the old one we were at with Andrew. Tori and Simon rushed out, eager to escape the confines of the van while Derek and I took our time. When he was out, Derek offered me his hand and helped me climb out. I felt a warm sharp pain erupt in my lower back and I hissed.

"Are you okay?" Derek whispered.

I nodded and rubbed the site of the warmth. As we approached the front porch of the house, I noticed a skinny, older woman with shoulder-length wavy red hair, dressed like she was from the eighties standing there, smiling at Kit. When Kit got close enough, the woman came down the steps and opened her arms to him.

"It's so good to see you, Kit," she says, wrapping her arms around him.

"It's good to see you, too, Ruth." Kit kisses her cheek and lets her go to face us. "Everyone, this is Ruth. She's the owner of this house and is a Supernatural as well."

Ruth smiles at all of us. She waves for all of us to follow her inside. Derek takes my hand as we head inside.

Geesh, this place is just like Andrew's safe house. The furniture seems to be the only thing that looks different. Ruth shows us the living room, the kitchen, the two bathrooms in the house, and all of the bedrooms. She explains that she's a host fora few other Supernaturals on the run from the Edison Group. As it turns out, we'd be sharing this house with another witch, a sorcerer or two, a telekinetic half-demon and much to Derek's dismay - a werewolf.

After the tour of the house, Ruth explained that Tori and I would be sharing a room, which Aunt Lauren was pleased about. Derek, Simon and Kit would be sharing one and Aunt Lauren would be sharing with Ruth. Despite how exhausted we were, none of us wanted to sleep. To our relief, Ruth had dinner in progress so we were free to explore the property.

I followed Simon out back to check out the yard and found that the house was placed beside a lake. I don't know where Derek went and Tori insisted on a shower. We walked through the yard and came to a dock and sat down, watching the water wave.

"So what do you think?" Simon asks. I look at him. "About this place."

"I don't know," I say honestly. "Ruth seems nice, but it's a little unsettling at how much this place resembles the old one."

"Yeah," Simon says, looking at the water, "it's almost like walking into an old memory or something."

That's exactly how it felt. I felt like I was reliving our last day at our previous safe haven. Seeing Gwen's ghost, trying to find Simon and Tori - only to find Andrew leading me into an empty room and finding him dead in his own blood, realizing that it was his ghost I saw. My biggest negative reaction to this house was the feeling of betrayal. Being reminded of how the people who were supposed to help us just turned their backs on us and helped the Edison Group retrieve us for money. As if the safety of other Supernaturals meant nothing anymore. It was all about the experiments.

"Whoa, Chloe!" Simon's voice broke through my thoughts. "What's up?" he asks.

I frown. "N-Nothing, why?"

He reaches out and opens my hands. He turns them palm up and I can see the crescent shapes of my nails in my hands, blood pouring out.

"I-I-I-"

Simon gets to his feet and helps me to mine. "Let's go find a First Aid Kit."


	2. Chapter 2

**_Derek's_****_POV_**

I let Chloe go out back with Simon to check out our new home. Tori insisted on having a shower, complaining that her hair was too greasy to have when she met the other Supernaturals. Personally, I could give two shits because she was the same no matter what she did with her hair. I decided to go around the house and see if I could pick up any scents. I wanted to know what I was up against in this place and to make sure that Chloe and my family were safe.

I quickly picked up a scent I've come to recognize. There's another werewolf living here and he's right next to Chloe and Tori's room. A growl builds up deep in my throat and I feel the sudden urge to go in there and tear everything up. Let the other wolf know -

_**Calm down,**__**pup,**_ an unfamiliar voice speaks to me.

_Uh, hello?_

The voice laughs. _**Come on, you have to know who I**__**am.**_

_Actually no, I don't._

_**My name is Phelan. I am your inner wolf.**_

_My what?_

**_Your inner wolf._****_Actually no, I am the wolf._**

_What, am I schizophrenic now?_

The wolf inside laughs and I become irritated.

**_I am the wolf, Derek. I am who you_****_become._**

_I'm not sure what that's supposed to mean._

**_When you become your wolf self, you become me. You can also think of me as your_****_guide._**

I wasn't sure what else to say to this 'inner wolf' but I left it alone. When I refocused on the scent of the other wolf, I remembered why I had stopped. I was about to move again when another scent caught my senses. _Blood._ Not just blood - Chloe's blood. I quickly raced down the hall and down the stairs, following the scent into the kitchen where I found Chloe holding her hand up to her aunt.

"What happened?" I ask.

I can hear Chloe's heart beat pick up a little bit. She looks at me as if I caught her searching up porn sites or something.

"Scratched myself with my nails. It's nothing," she says.

"Like hell it is." I walk around the kitchen counter and look down at Chloe's hands. They're covered in marks that are bleeding. "Jesus, what the hell did you do?"

"I-I-I don't k-know." Chloe doesn't look at me as she says this.

"You're in my light, Derek," Lauren snaps at me. I want to tell her to piss off, but she's Chloe's aunt and she's the only person here who can help us, so I moved around the counter to stand next to Chloe. Simon moves out of the way, his eyes no leaving Chloe's bloody hands. It's almost like he hasn't seen blood before. I wrap my arm around her shoulders and Lauren glances up at me disapprovingly, but I don't move.

...

When Lauren finishes bandaging up her hands, I take Chloe out back towards the lake. It's a cold night so I pull her close, spreading my body heat to her. She snuggles into my side and I hold her closer.

"How did you end up with bloody hands, Chlo?" I ask.

She shrugs. "I don't know," she says. "I-I was thinking a-about the old house and then S-Simon called my name and I f-f-found my hands l-like this." She holds her white bandages hands up in front of her.

I lean down and kiss each of her palms where I saw the marks her nails made. When I'm done we stand on the dock in silence and watch the moon rise into the sky.

"It's beautiful," Chloe says.

"You are," I say. I look down at her and she looks up at me. I can see her blushing and I can't help my smile. I place my fingers under her chin and hold her gaze. I can feel her racing heart and I take my time leaning down. I brush my lips against her soft ones and she sighs at the contact. I'm about to pull away when her hands come up and wrap around my neck, pulling me in closer. Our lips crash together. I wrap my arms around Chloe's waist and pull her against me. She wraps her arms around my neck as I slip my tongue into her mouth. She tastes sweet and her tongue begins to battle with mine. We are both inexperienced kissers, but we don't care. I don't care.

_**Now slowly caress her back, **_Phelan whispers in my head.

_Shut up!_

_**Just offering up some**__**help.**_

_I don't need it._

When he doesn't respond, I move my lips from Chloe's to trace kisses along her jawline towards her neck. She lets out a little mewl and it's enough to encourage me to continue. God, I love the feeling of her soft skin. She feels and smells amazing and I think: _how did a guy like me get so lucky with a girl like Chloe Saunders?_

"Chloe!" I hear Tori call from the house.

I growl and pull away, only to hear Chloe giggling. I look down at her, making my disapproval obvious.

"Aw, don't be so upset," she says. "Dinner must be ready."

_Finally! _"Fine," I groan. She takes my hand and leads me back to the house.

...

As it turns out, Tori called us back to say that Ruth and the other Supernaturals had come back with shopping bags for each of us, including the adults. We were each given two pairs of jeans, three shirts, one pull over sweatshirt, a brand new pair of running shoes, socks and underwear, a toothbrush and a hairbrush. We were all excited and grateful for it all, considering how much it must have cost them.

"None of you except Kit came in with a bag when you got here, so these are our welcome gifts to you," Ruth says happily.

Tori runs over to the older woman and hugs her. Ruth just laughed and hugged her back. This woman was so sweet and nice and it made me tense. I felt an arm go around my waist and I look down to see Chloe smiling up at me. I give her a tight smile.

"Relax," she whispers and reaches up on her toes to kiss my cheek.

"Okay," Kit says, "everyone in the living room?"

We follow Dad and Ruth into the living room, all grabbing seats in chairs, the couches and the floor. I found an empty love seat and sat down, pulling Chloe down next to me. Just as everyone gets comfortable, that's when I smell him again. The other wolf. I look around among the other Supernaturals until my eyes find the one guy smirking and looking at Chloe. I growl. I guess Chloe must have heard me because she looks at me.

"What is it?" she asks.

"Nothing," I whisper, not looking away from the other guy. I put a protective arm around Chloe and pull her closer to me, showing him that she's mine. That's when he turns his icy blue eyes on me.

Dad stands and looks around. "Alright, well, my name is Kit Bae, I am a Sorcerer and I have two sons, Simon and Derek." He sits down.

Ruth stands. "My name is Ruth Morgan, I am a Witch and I have a daughter, Amy." She motions to a girl who looks about thirteen with a blonde bob. She looks around and waves. Her eyes land on me and I catch her blush.

Amy's now standing. "Hello," she says shyly, "my name is Amy, I'm a Witch." Her eyes lock with mine and I become uncomfortable. She sits down, finally looking away.

Lauren stands. "Hi, my name is Lauren Fellows and I'm not a Supernatural, but I'm a doctor and Chloe is my niece." She sits down.

A guy with dark brown hair to his shoulders stands. "My name's Bobby. I'm a telekinetic half-demon."

The other wolf stands and I do my best to stifle another growl. "Sup? My name's Cole and I'm a werewolf." He sits down and turns back to staring at Chloe.

This time she notices him watching her and she moves closer to me, grabbing my hand around her shoulders. I catch Lauren giving Chloe and me a disapproving look, but I ignore it and she seems to as well.

It's Chloe's turn to stand. "Um, h-hi, my name's Chloe S-Saunders and I'm a Necromancer. Lauren Fellows is my aunt and Derek is my boyfriend." I glance at Cole and he's still smirking at her.

When Chloe sits down, I quickly jump to my feet. "Derek Souza. I'm a werewolf and Kit Bae is my adoptive father, Simon is my adoptive brother and Chloe -" I turn my gaze to Cole, shooting him daggers. '- is my girlfriend."

Cole's smirk drops and his eyebrows pull together and I'm satisfied by this. I sit down and Tori stands.

"My name is Victoria Enright, but I prefer Tori, thank you." She takes a deep breath and her expression changes and I can tell she's thinking of her mother. Normally I hate the girl, but I do feel bad for her. "I'm a Witch and I lost my mother when we fought the Edison Group." She sits down.

Simon surprisingly rubs her shoulder and gets to his feet. Thank God he's the last one of us to introduce himself because I don't know much more of this I can take before I leave in the middle of it and take Chloe with me.

"Well it's nice to meet all of you," Dad says, smiling as he looks around. "Now I guess it's time for dinner."

We all cheer and get to our feet. I take Chloe's hand once again and follow her to the dining room.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chloe's POV**_

We all finish dinner and I couldn't be any more full. My stomach went from practically empty to full so quickly. Everyone had a good time at dinner; we all cracked jokes, we talked about our hobbies. Everyone just seemed so relaxed and it was nice to be for once, though Derek still seemed pretty tense. Every now and then I would glance over at him and he would be glaring at Cole from across the table. Cole would glance back and smirk at Derek, but his eyes would change direction and turn to me. It made me uncomfortable and I was sure Derek picked up on it because he covered my hand with his under the table.

I was now heading upstairs to have a shower. It was after eight o'clock and I wanted to get some time to myself under the desired hot water. I went to my room and picked out a pair of blue pajama pants and a black tank top. I grabbed the towel that was left on my bed and headed for the bathroom. I stepped just outside the door when I bumped into someone. I mumbled apologies and stopped dead when I saw who I bumped into.

Cole.

"No worries," he says with a smile.

"W-W-Where did c-come from?" I ask.

His points his thumb behind him. "Just finished helping Ruth with the dishwasher," he says. "I was just headed to my room." He glances down at the items in my hands and cocks an eyebrow. "Shower?"

I don't say anything, so I just nod.

He's smirking at me again. "My word of advice -"

"I-I don't need any -"

He holds a hand up, cutting me off. "All I'm saying is that it gets cold out around here; especially by the lake. You'll need a sweater."

_Right. _

"Great. Thanks." I rush to the bathroom and shut it behind me, locking the door. I turn the shower on and step inside, relaxing and taking in the feeling of the hot water on my skin. I give myself some time to warm up before I wash and condition my hair. It's so nice to finally have some time to clean myself off. I notice a package of ladies razors and quickly take one out and shave my legs.

I have never actually shaved my legs before, so after knicking myself a few times I got the hang of it. When I was, I was clean and soft. I climbed out of the tub and wrapped myself in my towel. I felt a slight shiver up my spine. _Cole wasn't kidding; it's freezing!_ I quickly dress, grab my dirty clothes and throw the bathroom door open. I rush down the hall towards my room, eager to get a sweater and some socks, but when I get to my room I stop short in the doorway. Sitting on my bed is Derek.

"Hey." I walk into the room and toss the dirty laundry in the hamper I shared with Tori.

"Hey," he mutters, not looking at me. I know there's something wrong, so I walk over and sit on the bed next to him. I immediately feel his body heat so I move closer. He wraps an arm around my shoulders and gasps.

"Jesus, Chloe, you're freezing."

I look over the end of my bed and reach into the shopping bag, pulling out the plum colored pullover hoodie that Ruth had bought me. I slipped it on, feeling the fleece and I started warming up. Derek puts his arm back around my and I lay in closer to him. I can hear his heart beating; my favorite sound.

"Are you okay?" I ask him.

I hear him sigh. "I don't know."

I look up and meet the emerald glass that are his eyes. He looks down at me and I can see that he's worried, concerned even. I wrap my arms around his waist and hold him as close as my strength will allow. It's in that moment that he leans down and presses his lips to mine and my whole body freezes. I'm momentarily still before I begin kissing him back. I move one of my hands from his waist and wrap it around the back of his neck. He does the same thing to me and the warmth from his hand sends more shivers down my spine.

"Chloe," he whispers. He doesn't say anything else. He slowly lays me down on the bed, laying down beside me but we're still kissing. His hand travels down from my neck, down my arm and finds it's resting place on my hip.

I pull Derek closer to me and I hear a groan bubble up in his throat. He grips my hip and pulls my body against his and I let out a tiny moan. His lips leave mine and begin trailing kissing across my cheek, along my jawline and down to my neck. I let out another moan when I feel his teeth graze the sensitive skin on my neck.

"Derek..."

* * *

_**Derek's**__**POV**_

"Derek..."

Hearing Chloe whisper my name as I cover her neck with kisses drives me crazy. Crazy enough to carry on beyond what's happening now, but I can't. She's not ready and I don't want to hurt her. She's so small and fragile, I don't know what I'd do if I did anything to harm her. Even out of love.

_**It wouldn't help because you're in a crowded house.**_

_You're not kidding._

_**Anywhere else you can take our mate?**_

_I don't think - wait, what? Our mate?_

_**Yeah, our mate. You want her, don't you?**_

_Of course I do. I always want her. She's the only one I've ever really wanted. _

_**Then take her. **_

_I can't, she's not ready. _

_**She smells ready to me. **_I hear Phelan chuckle.

_Well I'm not taking advantage of her. She'll come to me when she's ready._

_**Suit yourself. **_

I continue to attack Chloe's neck and start trailing kisses up to her jawline and back to her lips. She wraps her arms around my shoulders, holding my close against her. When our lips meet again, I run my tongue across her bottom lip and I'm granted access when she opens her mouth to me. I slip my tongue inside and it's then I realize how sweet she really tastes. Her tongue begins tangling with mine and we start battling. I hear her moan a little bit and that's when I climb on top of her.

Our lips continue to crash against one another's. I feel Chloe's hands press against my chest and without any warning, I thrust my hips into hers and I'm rewarded with a real this time. It's then I realize how far this could go and I climb off of her, moving to the edge of the bed.

"Derek?" she says from behind me.

I drop my face in my hands. I feel the bed move under her weight as she comes to sit down next to me. I can't begin to imagine what could have happened if I let myself - oh God, I don't even want to think about it.

"Derek," she says again. She pulls my hands away from my face.

I look down at her and I think: what did I do to deserve someone like Chloe?

"What are you thinking about?" she asks.

"How a guy like me managed to deserve a girl like you," I say quietly, but not enough that she couldn't hear me.

Her eyebrows pull together. "What does that mean?"

"It means that I'm a werewolf, Chloe." I take a deep breath. "I belong with other werewolves, but I can't when I'm with you. I can't be with anyone, anywhere else where you're not."

I see her blush a little and she leans into me. She wraps her arms around my waist, holding us close together. I wrap my arms around her tiny frame, not willing to let her go. But those thoughts are cut short when I knock comes at the door. We both turn to see Lauren standing in the doorway. She doesn't look too pleased to see. _The feeling is mutual. _But she's Chloe's aunt, so I won't make a scene. I give Chloe a quick kiss on the head and leave without a word to her aunt.

I walk a few feet down the hall when I hear Lauren whisper, "You know you're not supposed to have boys in your room."

I keep walking, not wishing to start something that is technically true.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chloe's POV **_

"You know you're not supposed to have boys in your room," Aunt Lauren scolds. I resist the urge to roll my eyes because I've already explained to her that I am not leaving Derek. She knows how I feel about him but she still can't seem to process it. She was a teenager once, so she should know what it's like to have feelings for someone who your parents don't like.

"I left the door open," I remind her.

"That's not point," she says, "I don't like -"

"Derek," I snap, cutting her off.

She walks further into the room and sits on the edge of my bed where Derek once was. I lean back and pull my knees up to my chest. Aunt Lauren reaches over and pats my knee, but I just stare at her through my lashes.

"What?" she asks.

"After everything that's happened and after everything we went through with the Edison Group, you're problem is still with Derek."

She pulls her brows together. "Chloe, I -"

"I see the way you look at him - us." I feel tears well up in my eyes. I don't know why I'm crying. Maybe it's due to the fact that my aunt doesn't trust my boyfriend. But like I said before, I'm not leaving him.

"I can't help it if I don't trust him, hon," she says quietly, reaching up to stroke my cheek but I move away.

"What is it that you don't trust about him, Aunt Lauren?" I ask finally. After all this time, I finally get the time and remember to ask her.

She sighs. "He's a wolf, Chloe. He's dangerous."

I snort a sarcastic laugh. "Right, because Derek has proven to be _sooo _dangerous so far." I wipe at my tears. "Derek has made countless efforts to protect me since we left Lyle House and I'm still standing, aren't I?" My voices rises.

Aunt Lauren just sits there, watching me with a no hint of expression.

I take a deep breath and calm myself down. "If protecting me means that Derek is dangerous, then you're right. He's deadly."

When Aunt Lauren doesn't say anything, my heart breaks. I don't even think she's heard a word I've said because she continues to watch me as if I'm still ranting and yelling at her. She sits there watching me, not uttering a single word. What more can I say about all this? I am so sick of trying to prove to her that she has nothing to worry about when it comes to Derek.

I jump off the bed and rush out the door. I run down the hall, down the stairs and out the back door. I don't run out towards the lake; instead I run into the woods. I don't know how long I've been running for, but when I stop by a large tree I'm out of breath. I lean against the tree and slide down the trunk and let the tears flow. After everything that's happened in the last few weeks I finally find some happiness in all of this supernatural crap and it seems like I can't even have that. It's like I'm being teased. Derek's right in front of me; I try to reach out to him but he slowly fades away in the distance. I know I shouldn't be worrying about getting personal with someone while on the run, but how long can one person fight their feelings until they officially lose it?

I'm pulled from my thoughts when I hear a growl from behind me. I quickly think of Derek and I jump up to find a grey wolf. From what I can make out in the dark, this wolf is the same size as Derek-wolf, but this one has a silvery gray coat on it and icy blue eyes. The wolf continues to growl and moves one large paw out in front of him. I take a careful step back. I try to scream out for help, but the words and my voice won't come. When the wolf takes another step forward, I turn and run back in the direction of the house. I make it about five paces before I'm knocked to the ground, pinned under the wolf.

"Help!" I scream as loud as I can. "Someone help me!"

The wolf stops growling but looks down at me with its icy gaze as if I'm something to eat. I make to scream again, but it growls viciously and I close my mouth.

Suddenly, the gray wolf starts to get smaller. I continues to shrink until I see the course hair recede back into the skin of a human male. The guy is hunched over, weeping and panting. I sit up and back away quickly, eager to get away from the person. When the guy looks up I see the face and my heart stops when I see..._Cole? _

"Cole?" I breathe.

He smirks. "Sup, Chloe?"

I point at him with a shaky hand. "Y-Y-You're the w-wolf?" I'm not stuttering this time, but I'm actually too scared to talk.

Cole nods.

I don't know what possesses me, but I pick up a handful of dirt and throw it at him. He puts his hands up and laughs when blocks the dirt ball. Without a word, Cole gets to his feet and I see that he's naked. I quickly look away and I hear him laugh. I then hear twigs breaking and then distant shuffling and I see that he's disappeared behind a tree. When he re-emerges, he's fully dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. Now I can focus.

"W-What are you d-d-doing out h-here?" I ask, still not over the fright of being found by a supposed random wolf in the woods.

"I heard you fighting with your aunt." He shoves his hands in the pockets of his jeans. "I saw you running out here so I followed you."

"B-But why?"

He shrugs. "I wanted to make sure you didn't get hurt." He smirks at me again. "And make sure you didn't run into any wolves."

I roll my eyes at him and wrap my arms around myself. I look around the woods and see fog begin to form around us. I can't see the house anywhere in sight and now I realize that I'm lost. I'm about to say something when I hear a voice.

"Chloe!" And I recognize Simon's voice in the distance.

* * *

_**Simon's POV**_

I watch as the stars decorate the black sky above me while I throw rocks into the lake. I think about how far we've come since Lyle House. We escaped the group home, we were on the run and living on the streets for days; we found Andrew and went with him to a safe house for Supernaturals, ended up back with the Edison Group and now we're here.

I remember watching as Chloe rose Tori's mom from the dead and had her kill Dr. Davidoff. I remember thinking how cool it was to see something like that happen in real life, right in front of me. She and Derek went on all of these adventures together and I missed every one.

Even though Chloe's with Derek now, I can't help thinking about her all the time. I may be okay with them being together, but that doesn't mean I've stopped liking her. I just backed off because I have never seen Derek so happy with or about a girl before. Seeing the way he looked at her and how she looked at him, I knew right away that there was something between them. I just didn't want to believe it.

A slam in the distance startles me and I see a small shadow running out the back door of the house into the woods. I recognize the figure of the shadow as Chloe. No one was as small as her. I'm about to yell out to her when a large animal jumps down off the roof of the house and runs in after Chloe.

_Shit! _

I run into the house to tell someone and I find my dad, Derek and Ruth in the kitchen. I ran so fast that I was out of breath. They all gathered around me, asking me if I was okay and if I needed my insulin. I shook my head and took in a few deep breaths.

"What happened, Simon?" Dad asks me, rubbing my back.

"Chloe," I breathe, "in the...woods...wolf..."

"Slow down," Derek snaps. "Take a few more deep breaths and repeat that." I can tell that as soon as I mentioned Chloe's name, Derek's protective streak went up. I finally managed to get my breathing under control. And that's when Tori decided to show up.

"I saw Chloe run into the woods." I look at Derek. "And I think I saw a wolf run in after her."

Derek's face began to contort in a way I have never seen before. He banged his fist on the counter top and rushed past us, through the kitchen door and out the back. Everyone in the kitchen - including myself - followed him out. We found his clothes torn off and he was hunched over in the yard. Dad stopped us all right away and told us to wait and give Derek some room. We all stood and watched as Derek's skin rippled and bubbled, sprouting black hair as he grew from his six-foot-three height and into a huge black wolf.

He turned his head to face us. He nodded towards the woods and I was the first one in, Dad and Ruth close behind me. Derek came in sniffing the ground, obviously look for Chloe's scent. His head sticks up suddenly and he bolts forward through the trees. We run in after him. We keep running, following the loud sounds up ahead until I bump into a large rear of fur. Derek grunts at me and I mumble apologies. Derek looks from left to right and turns to Dad.

"She must have gone in either direction," Dad says.

"I'll use a tracking spell," Ruth says. I hardly hear her chant something went purple lightening bolts spark out of her fingers. "This way." She starts running South.

Dad warns Derek to stay with us unless there's a serious emergency. No kidding, we wouldn't want Derek running in and stomping on Chloe for anything. We follow Ruth until she stops. What we find is surprising. I hear Derek growl at my side and I reach up, patting his flank. Cole and Chloe are just on the other side of the bushes.

Without a sound or a noise, normal Derek is back and he's pulling on a shirt and jeans. _Where did those come from?_ He's glaring straight at Cole and I can't blame him. I want to go over there and tell that creep to piss off. Dad pats my shoulder and I take it as the okay to move in.

"Chloe!" I call.

She turns to look in my direction. "Simon!" We all run through the shrubbery and rush towards Chloe.

"Cole, what are you doing here?" Ruth asks him.

"Chloe seemed upset," he says. "So I came out to see if she was okay."

"After he decided to scare me half to death," Chloe snaps. It's then I notice that Derek has his arms wrapped protectively around her. I take a moment to picture what it would be like to have my arms wrapped around her in a desperate time of need. When I get the image in my mind, it's nothing like how it looks with Derek.

Cole smirks at her. "I was just having some fun."

"So that makes it okay?" It's Derek's voice now.

Cole snorts. "I thought it was hilarious, man."

"Well do yourself a favor and find someone else to scare." Derek steps up close to Cole until their noses are almost touching.

Cole smirks at Derek. "Or what?"

Derek shakes his head. "You don't want to know," he says almost inaudibly. "Walk away."

Derek backs up and takes Chloe's hand, heading back to the house. The rest of us take one last look at Cole and follow the others. What is his problem? Is it really that funny to follow someone into the woods, who's upset and you're disguised as a wolf? Where does that asshole come off? I just hope Chloe's okay.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chloe's POV **_

When we got back to the house, Derek guided me into the living room where Aunt Lauren and Amy were sitting down looking worried. They looked up at me and I kept my head down. I couldn't look at Aunt Lauren right now. She gave me a good enough reason to keep my mouth shut because if I don't, let's just say that corpses won't be the only thing I raise. Derek sits me down on the love seat and sits beside me, keeping our hands entwined together.

"Where were you?" Amy asks me. "I overheard something about you running into the woods and a wolf chased you?"

Aunt Lauren's eyes immediately pierced Derek and I felt him tense beside me. _Of course, _I thought. _There are two wolves in this house and Derek's the first one she turns to._ I tighten my hand in his and he gently squeezes back in reassurance. I look over and he smiles down at me. He wraps an arm around my shoulders and pulls me closer and I feel safe again.

When I start talking, I don't look at Aunt Lauren. I focus on Amy. "I had a fight with my aunt and I ran into the woods, yes." I take a deep breath. I'm about to go on when everyone walks in and crowds into the living room. When I catch a glimpse of Cole, he looks upset but I dismiss it.

"So," Kit says, "mind telling me what's going on?"

I start over. I tell them about my argument with Aunt Lauren and how I ran into the woods. I told them about Cole. As I explained the situation with the other wolf, I feel Derek's arm tighten around me. I pat his knee, reminding him that I'm okay.

"Why were you following Chloe?" Tori asks Cole.

"I couldn't help hearing the two women fighting," he says looking from Tori to me. "Then I heard her run outside. I watched her run into the forest and I ran after her to make sure she was okay."

"Was being a wolf necessary?" Simon jumped in. "You could have given her a heart attack from fear," he adds.

"I turn into a wolf based on instinct, dude," Cole says.

"What does that mean?" I ask.

Our eyes meet again and he answers with, "I change into a wolf as a protective measure. I know that we're not safe, so to see you run off on your own like that..." He trails off, shrugging his shoulders.

"And where were you?" Aunt Lauren snaps venomously. I turn my eyes to look at her and she's looking at Derek.

"I was here," Derek answered calmly. I know how much my aunt drives him crazy, but he keeps his cool for me. And I know Aunt Lauren means well, but she's coming on way too strong. Even for a protective guardian.

"You have super enhanced hearing, Derek," she says. "You couldn't hear Chloe coming and going?"

Derek doesn't answer.

"Lauren -" Kit says but she cuts him off.

"No." She gets to her feet. "He talks about wanting nothing but to keep my niece safe and he can't even hear her when she's upset."

"Enough!" I yell. Her gaze turns to me and I'm shooting daggers at her. I pull away from Derek, much to his protest. I get to my feet and I step on the other side of the coffee table, eyes not leaving my aunt.

"This is _not _Derek's fault. I wouldn't have gone out there if you didn't spend so much time thinking about how bad Derek is for me." I take a deep breath. "All he's done is protect me, even when I ask him not to."

"It's true," Simon says but no one acknowledges him.

"You spend so much time worrying about what Derek will do to me that you don't even take a minute to realize what he's already done for me. For all of us." I look at Derek and he gives me a half smile that makes my heart pick up pace.

"Chloe," Aunt Lauren whispers. I look back at her. "I know you really like him and he's done good by you. But you can't -"

"Can't what?" I ask loudly, cutting her off. "Just because someone expresses feelings for me I can't be with them because we're nothing like, right?"

She says nothing. I feel the vibe in the room change. I can sense the tension but I don't lose focus.

"In case you haven't noticed, but you spent years working for the people who genetically modified our powers; not to mention who tried to _kill _us. And Derek is the dangerous one?"

Her eyes widen and I can see that she's realizing what I just said. I have never once been so furious with my aunt; she's been the mother figure I so desperately longed for since my actual mother died when I was so young. But what kind of mother denies her teenage daughter the right to make her own choices? She's done nothing but judge Derek and try to pin my difference in behavior on him. It's wrong.

I take a moment to look around at everyone. There expressions all seem different.

Derek looks impressed.

Tori looks shocked.

Simon is wide-eyed.

Kit is expressionless, but I think there's a hint of surprise in his eyes.

Everyone else is just speechless. I look down at the floor, not wishing to look at Aunt Lauren anymore. Before anyone can say or do anything further, I turn on my heel and bolt for the stairs, not stopping until I get to my room, slamming the door behind me and crashing down on my bed. I let the tears flow freely now, unable to hold them back any longer. We just barely escaped the Edison Group, developed a whole new set of problems and I'm stuck in this safe house somewhere in the middle of nowhere in Philadelphia, worrying about my aunt's clouded judgement about my boyfriend.

When I was in Lyle House, I understood how she felt about Derek before, but now...now it's different. Derek isn't as anti-social and he's proven to be the opposite of what Aunt Lauren made him out to be that day at the diner when she tricked into telling her that it was Derek who hurt me. No matter how hard tried tell her that it was an accident; she wanted to fix the problem by keeping us apart. But thankfully, we managed to see eye to eye and figured out what was happening.

I don't want to fight with Aunt Lauren about my relationship with Derek. Sure, he's a werewolf and I'm a helpless Necromancer, but so what? Derek hasn't done anything to hurt me. He has saved my butt countless times and there's -

"Chloe?"

I don't need to turn around to know that the voice belongs to Kit. I don't answer him, too upset to talk. I feel the bed sink under me from his weight coming to sit down behind me.

"Chloe, I know what you said to your aunt must have stung, but -"

"Stung?" I let out a sarcastic giggle. I sit up and turn to face him, but not smiling. I wipe at my damp face and lean back against the headboard, pulling my knees up. "No, what stings is her lack of trust in me."

Kit takes a deep breath. "Chloe..." He pauses. "I'm not surprised that she's acting like this. What you and Derek have is special and unorthodox and I guess your aunt Lauren hasn't come to accept that yet."

"She's told me that it's Derek she doesn't trust," I snap, not meaning to. "At all," I add.

Kit shakes his head and reaches out, placing a friendly hand on my knee. I don't move because I'm sick of flinching every time someone touches or something makes a sound. I'm sick of being the defenseless little Necromancer everyone thinks I am.

"You're angry and you have every right to be." He says nothing further. He stands and with one more smile at me, he leaves.


End file.
